1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to micromachine integrated circuits, and more particularly to micromachine integrated circuits which contain at least three functions selected from an input device, microprocessor and a display device supported on a single support. The support may be a single, continuous, semiconductor substrate.
2. Background of the Art
Integrated circuits are a fundamental building block in many different forms of electronic devices. Individual circuit elements on the chips which may be combined into the integrated circuit are interconnected by thin conductive or semiconductive elements (e.g., layers or films), and the individual circuits are insulated from the remainder of the circuit by thin dielectric layers. Chips are assembled into packages containing external electrical leads to facilitate insertion into printed circuit boards for interconnection with other circuits or components.
The functional components of the integrated circuits, the microchips, chips and other components which are integrated into the circuitry have steadily increased in strength, speed, and versatility, while at the same time decreasing in size. These changes provide a regularly changing environment within which to design circuitry with functionality which was only capable of theory a few years ago.
Integrated circuits are used in a wide area of commercial and consumer technology, including, for example, calculators, computers, video games, digital watches, appliances (such as radios, televisions, magnetic recording devices, etc.), automobiles, diagnostic equipment (in industrial, pollution control, household and medical settings), traffic control devices, communication devices, and the like. The basic method of construction for many of these devices is to provide the necessary functions (e.g., data reception, data analysis, display, electrical control, etc.) as distinct and separately constructed units which are combined within a single product. The need to have, for example, three separate functions in the same device can necessitate three separate places or companies producing each of the individual elements, with a single location combining the three separate and individual elements into a single device. This type of operation creates an opportunity for higher probability of damage to the final article by shipping of the individual pieces from location to location and by the necessity of manipulation of the individual devices into a single composite. This type of construction also should require separate quality control analysis and testing of the individual components as well as the final product. These factors tend to add to the cost and likelihood of failure in an integrated circuit.
Although it is necessary in many types of electronic devices to have the functions of data reception, data analysis (by a microprocessor) and display provided in a single device, it has been necessary to provide at least one of the individual functions (usually the display) separately and then electrically integrate the separate display component into a final device. For example, in a facsimile machine, there is one component for receiving data, a second component for converting the data to signals which can be electrostatically (or other imaging format) printed, and a visual display to indicate the type of operations which the machine is performing. At least the visual display component is separately manufactured and the various components then electrically connected within the designed format for the machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,372 discloses a force activated touch screen which measures the deformation of the front panel. There is a built-in strain sensor and microprocessor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,405 discloses an apparatus for measurement of forces which are applied to a garment. A display panel is attached to the microprocessor unit for display of measurements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,090 discloses spatial light modulators. One modification provides a smart crystal comprising a crystal display on a semiconductor substrate.
It is now possible to construct integrated circuits with moving parts built into the board containing the integrated circuit. This ability is usually referred to as microengineering. The constructed moving parts may be physical switches, gears, levers, moving contacts, retractable or extendable elements, thermally expandable or thermally contractable warning elements, shutters, moving filter elements, and the like. Even solid state laser elements may be considered a moving part within certain uses within the technology by practitioners. The sensitivity of these elements, their fragility, and their susceptability to damage by being in an environment where further mechanical or chemical working may occur has made manufacture of elements with these microengineered or micromachined components tedious and expensive. Micromachine circuits or microengineered circuits are devices that have such moving parts within the panel or board structure of the circuit. The moving parts are usually constructed by forming segments of the moving parts from separate resist layers, one at a time, with the result moving part having been built into place.